OldGoat

Can anyone offer advice regarding comfortable seats for this old tush of mine?

regards,

OldGoat

FarHorizon

More information, please: Is this bike a "comfort" bike where you sit bolt upright, or is it a "road" model where you lean forward? Do you want to cycle for less or more than an hour? Does your bike have a front or rear suspension? What type of riding will you be doing (on road, off road, gravel roads, etc.)?

GeorgeBaby

Everything he said.

If you take a look at https://www.avocet.com/saddlepages/saddles.html, you can see that one manufacturer produces a variety of seat types for different purposes. I mentioned Avocet simply because I ride an older Men's model 30, and it works fine for me as a tourist.

More upright, wider saddle; more bent over, narrower saddle.

Every cyclist who'se been riding for a while has 3 or 4 saddles on the shelf that didn't quite work for them, so it may take you a couple of shots to get it right.

What are you riding now, and what's bad about it?

Bob Gabele

Goat...Dude:

You're NOT old!!!

Trust me, get out there and harden up that butt a bit before punting and getting that cushy saddle thing that you are WAY TOO YOUNG to be getting into. As I mentioned in an a post to you, on a separate thread, I didn't get back into riding until I was 51, three years ago. Now, I can ride with the best of 'em...

You're decision to quit smoking is a big one. If you keep riding, it will only help keep you from going "back to the pack"...not to mention a quality of life issue that cannot be measured empirically. Don't compromise!!! Ride the best equipment you can afford and do it often. Your friends will become jealously curious...

webist

Here's a good lead:

https://www.roadbikerider.com/booksto..._Bicycle_Seat_

John E

With the usual caveat of chacun a son gout, I once again advocate Brooks saddles. I have a Professional on the Capo, a Competition on the PKN-10, and a Team Pro on the Schwinn.

OldGoat

I have two bikes. I have an off brand mountain bike (never paid attention to the name). This is the bike that I am riding at this point. The bike itself rides very well for my purpose. I take this bike on a trail that is mostly gravel/packed dirt. The problem is the seat seems to be two small and causes considerable discomfort in the backside. In the past, I had the same issue with these small seats. After not riding for many years, I rode this past memorial day. It was about a 20 mile ride. Rear end was pretty sore when I got back to my car. Body overall is sore still today. Figure I over did it the first day out, even though the experience was enjoyable.

PALux

Back in ’79 I was commuting on an old 3 speed when I got my first 10 speed. I looked at that narrow saddle and decided to replace it with the sprung saddle off the 3 speed. The first ride to work and at half way I was debating returning and putting the narrow seat back on. I did get to work and back but that was the last time the wide saddle was used. Since then I also have a shelf with about 8 saddles I have tried over the years. I bought a Specialized body geometry comfort split saddle several years ago and it has served me well. I use the same saddle on my touring bike, mountain bike and cross bike. I have several very narrow and hard saddles that are more comfortable than the cushier ones on long rides.

Adjustment is critical for comfort. Get the height set right then play with tilt and moving forward and backward in small increments for a while. The best saddle out of adjustment will make rides miserable. Work with your current saddle until you get yourself broken in. Then look for better saddles. Try to find a lbs that will let you try different saddles for a week at a time. Saddles are not where you want to try to save money.

The Brooks riders are almost fanatics about their saddles. They do require long term commitment. They need to be ridden on a regular basis. They require more care weekly than most bicyclists give their bicycles in a year. But when adjusted right and broken in to your body they say there is nothing better.
Phil

stapfam

As the body gets older, we spend more time sitting down. I used to ride a Flite Titanium. but after a Prostate op, I could not use it. Too narrow and too hard. I Got one of the new San Marco saddles with a cut out for the pelvic bone and this was ideal for the Backside, but hell on the Crutch. It is wider than I am used to and caused chafing. Then I started riding the Tandem more often, and on this you do sit down a lot more. Wider saddle with a bit of padding and it is marvellous. This saddle is a Selle Italia TransAm saddle but the womans version. It is perfect for me. However, as the prostate area recovered, I have gone back to a New Flite Titanium with the pelvic cutout and a little gel padding. No good for the long distance rides, still good for a 50 miler offroad, where half the time you are off the saddle in any case.

Lonestar1

Well I have a KOOBI saddle on both the road & mountain bike. I've been riding on them for close to 5 years & wouldn't ride on anything else.

michaelnel

I'm another fan of the Brooks B17. I have a B17 Champion Special (green, woo woo!) on my current bike and have had them on several previous bikes. I have never found anything remotely as comfortable as a broken-in B17. It doesn't take that long to break them in, either. Mine was comfy on the first ride (after stopping several times to adjust height, setback and tilt), and it gets better each ride.

The best point is where I simply forget about the saddle... that has happened with each of my previous ones and I expect it will with this one too. When they get broken in, they simply disappear under you.

What more could you ask of a saddle?

rusht8205

check out Butt'r

Butt'r is a lubricant for your butt and the chamois in bike pants (if you use them). Local bike shop in PHX recommended and it works miracles. Paceline makes it and recommends it for any athlete that has chafing problems.

I use a specialized split seat and even though it is fantatic - long rides (typically over 3 to 4 hours) caused chafing. Once I started using Butt'r - I have not had another butt problem longest ride using it to date has been 9 hours in saddle (to be on safe side I reapplied at the half way mark).

Tom

michaelnel

I am not going to butter my buns. Not necessary with a proper leather saddle.

onbike 1939

PALux-----you puzzle me re your comments on Brooks saddles ie long term committment; weekly attention and regular use. This is all news to me and I've been using them for over thirty years. Once broken in a Brooks needs no long term committment that I'm aware of and no weekly attention either. Perhaps once a couple of months a light smear of Proofhide but really that's all.

ItchyZipper

Brooks B 17... Just put second one on my road bike. I rode a pro years ago, it broke at the nose and I replaced it with a new and improved plastic piece of junk, and have just rediscovered the best saddles ever ( or at least for the last 139 years). I have ordered the ladies model for my wife. Break in time was short and not too bad, under 200 miles. On long rides I forget about the saddle completely! Cooler in hot weather too.

serotta

I second that, I now have 5 Koobi's on the bikes I ride the most. I've had them for several years and several thousand miles, never a complaint. I've used Brooks years ago, and like them. Before Koobi I rode San Marco Rolls saddles and still have 5 or 6 laying around. The Koobi is hands down the best.

rusht8205

try a 3 to 4 week tour at 50 to 100 miles perday and see if you develop saddle sores - if you don't you are an amazing human

Tom

freeranger

After trying several, I ended up with a Terry Liberator (men's)-and not the gel version. It has a cut-out to prevent numbness, and eough padding to make it comfortable-and I don't wear padded bike shorts. Also, Terry comes with a 30 day money back guarantee-didn't try to use it, so don't know exactly how it works. But if you decide to try one, Performance or Bike Nashbar usually has them on sale.

michaelnel

I had a Terry Liberator on my bike before switching to Brooks B17. I found the Terry to be VERY uncomfortable on the two bikes I used it on.

I'll give it to anyone who wants to come pick it up in San Francisco. No, I won't ship it.

tirvine

less is better for me. I use a Flite carbon. It is small, skinny, has no padding, and turns up in the back, like an old Concor. With less saddle there is less to rub on you. I like Castelli's one piece chamois

bernmart

Hmm. Just got back from my second group ride--28 mostly easy miles. The only negative was this: on several occasions, stopped at a light, when I put my aged butt up on the seat to start again, the front (horn?) of the saddle caught on the rearmost part of the chamois in my shorts and pushed it forward. The sensation was (use your imagination) uncomfortable, and I had to jiggle and juggle to get everything back in place, as it were. God knows what the veteran members of the group thought of me!

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but has this happened to any of you? Is it the saddle, my own dreadful technique, both, or just no big deal?

bkaapcke

Check out Spiderflex's 2 pad seat. It's available online & it works. bk

stapfam

Only happens to me if I use a pair of shorts that have a bit of slack in them. In other words they are not tight enough. And yes it does happen to me. For some reason this only happens when I am in a group of riders, but they don't often laugh as it has happened to them aswell.

bernmart

You're quite right. . . . The shorts I bought along with the bike don't fit as snugly as those I've bought since, so I use them only when the others are still wet from the wash. Yesterday I wore them for the first time in weeks, and sure enough it happened.